A Cry to the Moon
by seaandstars
Summary: Beth could possibly be the biggest freak of them all. Staggering into Perdido Beach with no idea who or what she is, Drake takes a certain interest in her. But working for a sadistic psychopath couldn't have a worse job description.
1. Owned

**AN: ****Okay, so I fell in love with this book as soon as I read it and I was like, I must write something on it. So this appeared and I know it's kinda rushed and confusing and pretty much crap but yeah…Please don't hate it? I'm gonna be writing a few Gone fics I suspect because its such an epic book.**

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* * *

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'_I've got this feeling that there's something that I missed,  
I could do almost anything to you,  
Don't you breathe  
Don't you breathe,  
I could do almost anything to you,  
Something happened that I never understood,  
I could do almost anything to you,  
You can't leave,  
You can't leave.'_

_-Somewhere a Clock is Ticking, Snow Patrol_

A wolf ran at a steady lope through the desert. Its paws hit the ground with dull thuds, tongue lolling and tail bouncing from side to side. It was small and skinny, looking a little worse for wear. Blood stained its fur, turning the dark silver a copper colour. It fur was ragged, mud matting it down and mixing with the dried blood. Suddenly it stopped and lifted its muzzle, sniffing the air carefully and it tilted its head to one side. Four words went through its intelligent mind.

_Town._

_Three miles._

_Run._

And so it set off, this time faster, muzzle to ground, eyes widened in relief.

* * *

Panda was patrolling the outskirts of the town, baseball bat in hand as he kicked his feet along the dirt, scowling at anything. He was bored, there had been no action for hours, nothing to do, no one to bully. He glanced up, his dark ringed eyes scanning the horizon for anything out of order. It was then he saw it, a blurred grey shape appeared, at first a shiver of a haze before it materialised and he realised it was an animal, probably hungry, after all, he doubted there was much left to eat.

He swallowed, clutching the baseball bat tighter as he stood his ground. As it got closer he saw it was a wolf. It was small and it was thin but it was most definitely a wolf. He didn't back down though, Howard and Orc were only a few blocks away, he could call them if he got into any trouble.

But the wolf was stumbling, swaying from side to side. As it got closer Panda saw the blood in its fur, the way it favoured its right paw. A smirk crossed his lips and he raised his bat, but suddenly the wolf stopped, right in front of him. It looked up with what looked like a pleading expression, before it dropped to the ground. He watched on in amazement as the animal started to change shape, its body twisting and turning until where a wolf had lay, was a girl. She had a mass of tangled black hair, two grey ears popping out the top of her skull, a tail curled around her bare legs, but she was most definitely a girl.

Beth peered out from between strands of black hair, her yellow eyes wide and fearful. The boy with the bat was just standing there, stock still, staring down at her. She wondered if he was going to attack, so she stayed where she was until a new voice interrupted the peaceful silence.

Panda jumped and spun round to face the angry face of Drake, someone who was even more frightening than Caine. Behind Drake stood Mallet and Howard, a little behind them Orc, his eyes dark but weary.

'What are you doing, Panda?' Drake snapped. 'You were meant to be back ages ago.'

Panda shrugged half heartedly, his mouth opening and closing. 'I-I got distracted.' Was all he managed to say, gesturing to the girl, who had sat up and seemed to be hiding behind Panda's long legs.

Immediately Drake's attention was on her, his eyes widening before narrowing dangerously. He noticed her abnormal ears and tail, the way she looked at everyone with those wild yellow eyes, and suddenly a smirk crossed his handsome face. He pushed Panda aside, causing Beth to panic and she shuffled backwards on her bottom.

'What is she?' Howard whispered, peering over Drake's shoulder.

'No clue, but she's coming with me.' Drake replied, firmly grabbing the girl by her arm and yanking her to her feet. She whimpered, her ears flattening, but followed him obediently.

'I saw her,' Panda said quietly. 'She was a wolf and then…and then this.'

Drake's smirk grew.

At the Plaza children were milling about, some laughing, some just moping as they flopped on the concrete, quietly observing everything around them. Most shrunk back at the sight of Drake and his crew, the others, the stronger ones, glanced away, too proud to shy away but too nervous to defy him. They're attention was caught as Beth passed, nobody knew her, she wasn't a Coates kid, she wasn't anyone's kid. Drake held her close, the grip on her arm was almost too painful for her to bear but she put up with it. Something told her not to challenge him, provoke him, and give him a reason to use that steel bar he held. She was nobody here, outnumbered and already an outcast.

She was directed wordlessly to the school, down the destroyed corridors and pushed into a cool office. The scary looking boys, the ones with the baseball bats and steel bars, filed in after her, slumping down onto couches or leaning against walls. Another boy sat beside a desk, his hair slicked back, his handsome face pulled into a frown. A girl stood next to him, her dark eyes trained on Beth. She was very pretty but there was an odd look about her that Beth didn't like.

'What is this, Drake?' Caine asked, his voice full of authority.

'Panda found her, she's mine.' Drake answered confidently. The girl snorted and he flashed a glare her way.

'I'm not sure you can own people,' she said smoothly, not at all phased by his glare, so full of hatred.

'Diana,' Caine held up his hand and the pretty girl rolled her eyes but she looked back at Beth, ignoring Drake's death stare. 'What is that on her head? Has she got the power?' Caine frowned, glancing around the room.

'She is-was, a wolf, uh, sir.' Panda stammered.

'A wolf?'

'Yeah, Panda said she turned into one.' Drake drawled, smirking at Beth who shifted nervously.

'Show me.' Caine ordered.

Drake glanced down at Beth and she looked up at him, seemingly oblivious to what was going on around her. He nudged her in the back of the leg with his baseball and she jumped, her eyes landing on Caine. He raised an eyebrow expectantly. With a shaky intake of breath, she closed her golden eyes and concentrated her mind. It wasn't hard, her body was programmed to be able to do it in an instant, concentration or not. All she had to do was think and, bam. She opened her eyes, seeing the astonished face of Caine through a vision of black and white.

He sucked in a breath and leant back in his chair. 'What's her name?' Drake nudged Beth in the leg and she was a girl again, this time was faster.

'B-Beth,' she said, her voice no more than a whisper.

He smiled, a slow smile that seemed to spread across his lips like butter. 'Well, Beth, you don't look particularly dangerous, do you?' He nodded. 'Drake, you can have her, but if we need her, we can use her.'

'Oh, come on,' Diana spoke up. 'You can't give her to him; she'll be dead within an hour. You know what he's like, sadist.' She hissed, pointing accusingly at Drake.

'Since when did you have a heart?' He grinned his shark like smile, already manoeuvring Beth out of the door.

Diana shook her head, watching his gang of thugs follow after him. She looked at Caine, almost sadly. 'That was a mistake.' She murmured.

* * *

Beth had been ordered to sit on the floor, which she had done so without question. All of it was a blur; she didn't know where to look. How had she got into this situation? The boy known as Drake had taken her to his house, a small two bed roomed flat. It wasn't messy, in fact it was rather organised, everything in its place, except Beth. She didn't have a place, but she seemed to find it at the bottom of Drake's bed, curled up like an animal, her tail wrapped comfortingly around her legs. He was on the bed, his arms resting behind his head, eyes closed and legs stretched out.

He wasn't asleep, she could tell by the rise and fall of his chest, but she wasn't the type of person to go sneaking around. She didn't know what she was, not anymore. The scientists had kept her locked up all her life and then suddenly, she was free, free to roam and do what she liked. With a satisfied sigh, she closed her eyes, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

She woke with a start, gasping for air. It took her a moment to realise where she was, slumping down again as she settled herself. She swallowed, shaking herself before rising onto her knees and peering over the end of the bed. Drake was gone, the sheets crumpled from where he had lain. A frown crossed her pale features and she sat back down onto her haunches. She doubted he would just leave her there. Beth wondered lamely if she should go out. She decided she would, but not after she had satisfied her hunger.

She shook her head and stood up, her stomach rumbled weakly in protest almost making her jump. It had been days since she had eaten, her ribs stuck out painfully from the black tank top she wore. Her legs were like sticks, pale against the black denim of her tattered shorts.

A rifle was resting against the wall, a knife on the bedside table and the steel bar discarded on the floor. Beth passed all of these things as she made her way to the door; she avoided looking at them, a shiver running down her back. The kitchen wasn't much different, tidy, clean, everything neatly put away. Beth found a loaf of bread in the cupboard and she tore a bit off, chewing on it contentedly.

The door slammed open and Drake appeared, yawning as he stretched his arms, the muscles in his stomach flexed and Beth blinked, backing away from him slightly. He was tall, taller than her, his sandy blonde hair dishevelled as if he had run his hands through it a lot. He frowned when he noticed her, obviously not remembering this strange looking girl he had brought home last night. In return she watched him warily, her ears twitching nervously. Her natural instincts were trustworthy, and he was setting off warning bells in her mind.

'The wolf, right?' He said. His eyes flickered to the bread and he raised his eyebrows, making his way over to the fridge, a smirk already appearing on his face. She didn't answer and he looked at her expectantly.

'Y-yes.' She stammered, her back hitting the sink.

He nodded and pulled something from the fridge, slamming the door shut. He held it up in front of her and she winced, her ears flattening. It was a piece of meat, raw and bloody, the liquid ran down his arm and dripped onto the floor.

'Wolves eat meat,' he said, a cruel edge to his voice. 'So eat it.' He dropped it onto the floor and it slapped down hollowly, splattering blood up Beth's bare legs. She shook her head fearfully, trying to back away but there was nowhere else to go. 'Eat it.' He growled, raising his hand threateningly.

Beth flinched and got down onto her knees. She glanced up at him and he raised his eyebrows. She slowly lowered her head to it, the stench hit her like a smack in the face and she recoiled, tears stinging her eyes. She tried to stand, to get away, but his hand was there, entangled with her hair and forcing her back down.

With a desperate sob, she dug her sharp teeth into the meat, chewing on it slowly. Drake smirked down at her triumphantly as she ate faster, the stench of it now intoxicating her senses and almost making her drool. He released her hair and she grabbed the meat in both hands, tearing huge chunks off; blood ran down her chin, staining her top.

'Eat up, little wolf,' he called as he walked into the bedroom. 'Got a big day ahead of you.'


	2. Obedience

'_The pin-striped men of morning,  
__The partners in the dance,  
__The paper's shot to pieces,  
__The kids don't stand a chance.'_

_-The Kids Don't Stand a Chance, Vampire Weekend_

_

* * *

_

Sam was sat outside the fire station on the kerb; Quinn and Edilio were behind him kicking a tennis ball to each other. Well, Quinn was kicking it and laughing as Edilio attempted to stop the ball from flying off into the distance. It seemed there was one thing the little Mexican boy couldn't do, and Quinn was taking full advantage of this.

Sam frowned as he noticed Drake walked down the street, Panda beside him. They were both carrying the infamous steel bars but in his other hand Drake was holding a leash and on the end of the silver chain there was a huge grey dog.

'That's worrying.' Someone suddenly muttered and Sam jumped, turning his head to see Astrid sat beside him, her eyes narrowed at Drake and the mysterious dog.

'What? The dog?' Sam asked her.

Astrid shook her head. 'It isn't a dog it's a wolf. How on Earth he got it to be that tame is beyond me.'

'You mean you don't know?' Sam smirked and Astrid hit him playfully on the arm, chuckling.

* * *

Beth walked slowly behind Drake; the collar was loose around her neck, bouncing irritably against her collarbone. He had told her not to talk; in fact, she wasn't allowed to do anything except what he told her unless she wanted to feel that steel bar. She told herself it was that which kept her in line but really she was scared of Drake with or without the bar. He had already proved he could make her do what he wanted, he was the scariest person she had ever met and she had met her fair share of scary people in her time. That boy with the funny rings around his eyes had joined them. She discovered his name was Panda after some intense listening. He didn't seem as scared of her now she was with Drake, now she was leashed up and unable to attack.

The little procession came to a halt and Beth blinked, glancing up. Both boys were looking down at her, a knowing smile was on Panda's face and Drake was halfway between frowning and smirking.

'Turn into a wolf.' He said suddenly, tugging on the leash. Beth staggered forward, blinking rapidly. She almost ran right into his chest, which would have not been good.

'She can do it,' Panda piped up. 'I saw her.'

'Yes, we all saw, moron.' Drake scowled and lifted the bar up. 'Do it.' He snarled.

Beth almost shook her head, almost; with a shudder she closed her eyes and focused her mind. She could feel her body changing smoothly, fur growing along her skin, her body lengthened, claws shooting out of her fingers. When she opened her eyes, Drake was grinning and Panda was smiling knowingly.

'Told you,' he said but Drake wasn't listening. He yanked on the leash, holding it tight so Beth yelped in pain, stumbling after him.

'She's gotta learn,' Drake explained without Panda having to ask. 'Beat on her a bit, she'll get tougher, like a police dog.'

'Won't you have to train her, then?' Panda questioned and Drake smirked.

'Exactly.'

* * *

Orc and Howard were sauntering around, looking for anything out of place. They both loved the newfound power and were ready to use it to full extent. Aluminium bats were twirled around as they walked in a companionable silence. A shout alerted their attention and both turned, looking at the shop which stood just across the street. A child, no more than seven years old was running out of the shop, a packet of cookies clutched to his chest. The guard at that time, Mallet, was stood at the entrance to the shop, hands on his knees as he panted for breath.

'What're you doing?' Howard cried, jogging up to the boy.

'I just ran round the shop at least twenty times after the little shit,' Mallet protested. 'You get him!'

In the end it was Orc who ended up getting the little boy, despite his size he was surprisingly useful. In his hurry, the boy had run straight into the bulk that made up Orc's belly and he had fallen back onto the ground, cookies scattered around him. He tried to get up and run the other way but Howard got the kid's shoulders and held them tightly. Sneering down at the frightened little boy. The boy wasn't fazed though and kicked Howard hard in the shin, he howled in pain, releasing the boy who proceeded to scamper down the street.

'Mallet,' Howard gasped but Mallet wasn't fast enough.

All of a sudden a silver shape streaked past Howard, bounding after the boy. Drake appeared, the chain leash hanging from his hand loosely as he smirked after the wolf.

'Drake, the kid – took cookies!' Howard stammered, his eyes darting between the wolf and its owner.

'Chill, Howard, she's got it covered.' Drake rolled his eyes and carried on walking, Panda following close behind.

The wolf leapt, its shadow passing over the boy, and landed with a skid in front of him. He screamed shrilly at the sight of the snarling animal and tried to turn the other way but Drake and Panda were there, steel bars in hand. The boy promptly burst into tears trying to go this way and that but the wolf was closing in and Drake showed no sign of calling her off.

A crowd had slowly gathered now, just a couple of people, scared but interested at the same time. They didn't get too close though, the wolf's teeth were visible now, her eyes ferocious and wild. There was a shout and the crowd shifted, Sam barging through followed by Astrid and Edilio, and Quinn lingered behind them.

'What's going on?' Sam demanded, looking worriedly between the wolf and the little boy, who was full on wailing now.

'He broke the rules.' Drake answered, grinning.

'He's seven years old!' Astrid protested.

'So? Would you like to take his punishment?' He raised an eyebrow.

'Caine can't be allowing this,' Sam shook his head. 'Call the wolf off, Drake.'

Drake shrugged. 'What makes you think I control it?'

That was it for Edilio, he lunged for the closest person possible, this being Panda. The two went rolling over each other, punching and kicking. The baseball bat Panda had been holding lay in the dirt, forgotten. Drake made no move to stop the fight, his eyes were trained on the wolf, and the animal was staring at the little boy with cruel intentions, its hackles raised, muscles tense and ready. It's ears twitching, listening intently for Drake's command.

Mary pushed through the crowd, her eyes wide and searching. 'Tom!' She suddenly called, dropping to her knees and holding her arms out. The little boy rushed to her and she enveloped him in a hug, but at this sudden movement the wolf lunged, jaws open and snapping.

Mary screamed and jumped backwards from the furious animal. Its strong jaws wrapped around her leg, tugging her back, tearing through the delicate skin. She shrieked in pain, kicking desperately at the wolf's muzzle when suddenly the steel bar came down through the air with a whoosh, slamming right onto the wolf's back. It howled in pain, backing away from Mary instantly. It was hit again, across its muzzle and it fell to the ground, panting heavily.

Drake was glaring down at the wolf before he turned his gaze to Mary who sobbed into the ground. 'If he does it again, he's dead.' He growled threateningly and she nodded frantically, hugging Tom closer to her.

It seemed the entertainment had come to an end and the crowd dispersed, chattering noisily. Mary was slowly helped away by a shaking Dhara and Elwood, who had arrived to see what all the noise was about. Edilio was dragged away from Panda by Sam and now it was just them left, the wolf lay between them, panting raggedly.

'It could have killed her, Drake.' Sam said, pointing at the wolf.

'I don't think so,' Drake smirked. 'Get up.' He said, looking down at the animal. It coughed, snarling slightly before heaving itself up onto its paws and standing close to Drake. 'See? It belongs to me, I'm it's Master.' He added proudly.

Astrid shook her head. 'You can't keep a wild animal, one day it'll turn on you.'

Drake's smirk only seemed to get bigger and without a word he tapped the wolf on its shoulder with his steel bar. It grunted and backed away slightly before it closed its eyes. The fur disappeared and was replaced with scruffy clothes and soon enough Beth was back, looking even more defeated than earlier. Her eyes were sad and dull; her movements limp as if someone had taken the life from her. Astrid had no doubt that someone was Drake, judging by the way she reacted to the steel bar.

'Is it…the power?' Edilio asked, amazed by it all.

'Who cares?' Drake answered flatly. He looked at Sam. 'Shouldn't you be fighting fire?' He grinned, resting the steel bar against his shoulder.

Sam looked at Beth, a frown crossing his features before he shook his head and turned, walking away down the street. Drake watched them go before he turned and glared down at Beth, anger flashing across his handsome face.

'What was that?' He snarled, pushing her hard in her shoulder. Beth stumbled backwards, yellow eyes wide.

'I-I didn't-,' she stammered but Drake merely rolled his eyes.

'Shut up,' he ordered and Beth's jaw snapped shut obediently.


	3. Tracking

'_Bones, sinking like stones,  
__All that we fought for,  
__Homes, places we've grown,  
__All of us are done for,'_

_-Don't Panic, Coldplay_

_

* * *

_

Beth sat on the edge of the cliff, her chin resting in her hand as she stared out across the sea. Drake was stood beside her, his gaze focused on the group of children down on the beach. He wasn't looking at them though, no, he was looking at a girl and a boy, Sam, who seemed to be holding hands. The girl was crying but Beth didn't know why, she was focused on the sea. It was huge, something she had never seen before and it was mesmerizing. She wanted to go in it, but she doubted Drake would let her; he hardly let her out of his sight since the incident.

He took a sharp intake of breath and Beth's ears twitched, her tail curling around her ankles as she glanced over the edge of the cliff. The girl was gone but Sam was still there, looking slightly disturbed. He moved his hand and a child stared crying and then soon, they all started sobbing and Beth fought back the urge to join in.

'How old are you?' Drake suddenly asked, looking down at her.

Beth frowned. 'Thirteen.' She said unsurely, taking a fleeting look at his expression. He frowned, running his tongue over his teeth, seemingly deep in thought. After a few minutes he turned, making his way back down the hill.

'C'mon,' he called. 'I'll get you some more meat if you're good.'

She wasn't particularly thrilled with this bargain but she followed him all the same, self-consciously rubbing the harsh black bruise that had appeared across her nose. He was going back to Caine, probably to inform him of his findings but he let her stay outside, giving her sometime to herself for once. She watched him until he disappeared round a corner and then turned and slumped against the wall. She had been left with Jack, who was fiddling with a laptop, he was under strict orders from Drake not to let her out of his sight but it seemed he didn't care what she did.

She sighed heavily and lay flat out on the ground, staring up at the burning sun. She glanced across at Jack, his attention was fully focused on the laptop and she smiled slyly. She was bored of being ordered round and even though she knew what would happen if she was caught sneaking off, Beth felt the need to rebel, she wanted to have a little bit of control over her new life. So, with a casual air she got to her feet and wandered away from the building. A peek over her shoulder told her Jack hadn't even noticed and with an excited air to her, she bounded away down the street.

She found it easier to find food in her animal form and was soon wolfing down a discarded cheeseburger she found outside the MacDonald's. She yawned and stretched her muscles before trotting down the road, her tail swinging in time to her steps. As any animal, her instincts took over and she became fixated with the search for more food. It didn't take her long to find a large shop on the street and she could clearly smell the strong scent of rotting fish. Unfortunately for her, Howard was sitting rather comfortably outside, staring at a small portable television. Trying to sneak in would be useless because it didn't take long for Howard to spot her.

He looked terrified at first before he seemed to realise who and what she was. 'Does your owner know you're out?' He mocked, a wide grin upon his face. Beth growled in annoyance but Howard just shook his finger at her. 'Ah, ah, ah, you lay one little paw on me and you're in big trouble with the boss.'

She scowled, her shoulders sagging as she padded forward and slumped down beside his chair. Howard smirked triumphantly and settled back in his chair to watch the film. Beth yawned again and allowed her body to change back to its original human form where she proceeded to fall into a doze.

* * *

The sound of raised voices woke her and she sat up, startled. The grocery store was abuzz with activity; Howard had disappeared and had been replaced with Diana who was standing in the doorway, talking to someone. She caught sight of Beth and scowled.

'You stay there, and don't do any of your stupid animal tricks.' She hissed and backed out of the doorway, followed by a shopping cart. In this cart, bound and blindfolded was the boy Sam. Howard was pushing the cart, looking very pleased with himself, behind him came Drake, holding onto a defeated looking Astrid.

'Get up,' he snarled at Beth, obviously not to thrilled to see her there. 'Get him.' He jerked his head in the direction of the little boy that trailed along beside Astrid.

Beth swallowed dryly and heaved herself to her feet. She gently pushed the little boy after them but he didn't seem to notice she was there and after a while she let him walk by himself. Diana led the way and they were heading for the school, in front of the procession that held Sam hostage. Beth trailed her feet along the ground, her head drooped and her tail sagged low to the ground.

'So you work for Drake, huh?'

She and glanced round; surprised to see Astrid was free of Drake and walking along beside her. She didn't look angry or scared, just slightly sad. Beth nodded slowly in answer to her question.

'Must be hard,' Astrid continued. 'Did he do that to your nose?' She raised an eyebrow.

Beth opened her mouth to respond but Drake was there, shoving her away. 'Don't talk to her.' He ordered, glaring fiercely at Astrid.

'Drake's very protective of his property.' Diana put in, smirking smugly at Beth. No one remarked on this and they walked the rest of the way in silence. Sam was taken a different way to them and Beth didn't miss the longing in Astrid's eyes as she was pushed into an empty classroom. The raven haired girl made for the window, she wanted air, she needed to see space, but Drake roughly shoved her into a corner. Apparently he wasn't best pleased with her at that moment in time. He leaned against the wall beside her, smirking at Diana and Astrid as they talked.

Beth's eyes darted round the classroom, looking for anything interesting. She soon spotted a packet of open biscuits on what she guessed was the teacher's desk. She licked her lips self-consciously and slowly shuffled herself over to the desk, careful not to attract any unwanted attention. Diana left without a glance in her direction and Drake was focused on Astrid, there was no way he could see her from where his glare was aimed.

She was inches from the desk now, her arm reached out for the open packet. Her fingers closed round the crumbly surface of the biscuit when suddenly a bat came flying out of nowhere, slamming down onto her wrist. There was a scream that wasn't her own, a loud crack and she shrieked in pain, pulling her wrist close to her chest. It was at an odd angle, her arm throbbed agonizingly and tears welled up in her wide gold eyes. She looked up at Drake, at his cold, uncaring expression. The baseball bat was slung casually over his shoulder as he watched her closely. The biscuit had fallen to the floor and he stood on it, watching it crumble under his boot.

'You don't eat, unless I tell you to eat.' He said quietly, behind him Astrid watched on with a stricken face.

Beth flinched as the sharp sound of Drake slapping Astrid hit her ears. She tugged fruitlessly on the chain but he had tied it tight and even if she got free she would have no clue what to do. Drake was like no one she had ever seen before. He was cruel, tough and seemed to relish in the idea of someone else's pain. Beth would rather have been locked in her cell than here, tied to a radiator like some mongrel. A bandage had been casually wrapped round her wrist and secured tightly with some tape.

Another slap and Beth turned her head away, frowning deeply. She could feel Astrid's eyes on her, silently pleading her to do something. Drake gave a short bark of laughter and moved across to the little boy. He ignored Beth as he passed, seemingly not interested in her at the moment. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes, trying to block out the sound of the raised voices across the room. Suddenly Drake gave a yell and Beth's eyes snapped open, staring at the empty space where Astrid and her brother had once sat.

'Where'd she go?' Drake shouted, glaring down at Beth as if this sudden disappearance was her fault. She shrugged helplessly, her eyes darting anxiously around the room. 'Shit.' He muttered under his breath and raced from the room.

Unfortunately, the fact Beth was still chained to the radiator slipped his mind as he sprinted down the corridors. She twisted on the end of the chain, frantically trying to break free from the annoying restriction. She slammed her fist against the radiator again and again, until beads of blood welled up on her knuckles and she fell against the wall in defeat.

Beth blinked back tears as she lay there, wallowing in self-pity. She stared at the blank ceiling of the classroom and wondered maybe if she pinched herself she would wake up from this bad dream and everything would be back to normal. She would find herself staring at the same bare four walls of the cell she had sat in everyday until the FAYZ. Panda had told her about the Fallout Alley Youth Zone earlier, he seemed to enjoy talking to her. She didn't say much back but perhaps that was the way he liked it, at least some of the time he got his say. Beth didn't mind, she liked Panda, he was nice to her and he gave her sweets, something she found he always had spare in his pockets.

The door to the classroom flew open and none other than Howard stuck his head in. 'Hey, I told you Drake forgot her.' He called, glancing over his shoulder before turning back to look at her and grinning widely. Panda pushed past him and Beth's tail thumped against the floor at the sight of him.

'She doesn't look too good.' He said, kneeling down beside her.

Howard snorted. 'Jeez, Panda, she hasn't always been a bundle of fun.' He looked down the corridor. 'We gotta' go, dude.'

But Panda wasn't paying attention, he lifted Beth's wrist, unusually gentle, and frowned. 'Do you think Drake did this?' He asked, dropping her wrist and reaching into his pocket. Beth sat up eagerly, her yellow eyes wide and waiting. Panda smiled and handed her a small blue gumball.

'Dude, if you don't come now, we're leaving you.' Howard shouted, glaring at his friend.

Panda rolled his dark ringed eyes but straightened out all the same. He looked at Beth and after a couple of seconds thought, reached down and yanked the chain free. Beth blinked but he was gone, out the door after Howard and the beast of a boy they called Orc. She slipped the small gumball into her pocket, wondering what to do now she was free. Her first thought was to go and find Drake but this was swiftly wiped from her mind. The more time she spent in Drake's company the more she saw just how cruel he was, and not only to her.

It seemed her freedom was short-lived though, when Diana appeared in the doorway. She rolled her eyes at the sight of a startled Beth on the floor.

'Come with me.' She instructed, grabbing Beth by the arm and leading her out the classroom and down the hallway. She was steered down more corridors before she was pushed through double doors into a huge sports hall. A boy she had only seen once before, Caine, was stood in the middle of the room. He was tall and handsome and seemed to radiate power. Beth was yanked to a standstill in front of him and he smiled softly down at her.

'Drake has gone after some nasty people,' he talked to her like she was a five year old. 'I want you to find him and help him, can you do that?' He raised an eyebrow at her silence. Beth nodded once and Diana released her.

They watched as she raced from the room in her wolf form. 'Poor girl.' Diana commented.

Beth had never tracked anyone before but how hard could it be? She had all the tools and if all else failed she knew her natural instincts would lead her _somewhere_. She ran down the main street, her nose to the ground, sniffing furiously. She could easily pick up the scent of Sam's friend, Quinn, the fear practically rolled off him but Drake was a different matter. It seemed he didn't have any human emoticon except maybe anger or possibly a deep hatred for Astrid and her little brother. Beth didn't know why, the two had seemed perfectly harmless back in the classroom but she wasn't about to go and defy Caine, now wasn't the time to change sides.

A new scent tugged her from her busy thoughts and Beth raised her head, one paw held tense in the air. A gunshot rang out and Beth flinched downwards, her stomach brushing the ground. It came from the cliff top, and then another. It was in that instant she was certain Drake was up there. She leapt off her back legs into a sprint, straight for the large building that resided up there and hopefully, Drake.


	4. Submission

'_Find yourself in the gutter,  
__In a lonely part of town,  
__Where death waits in the darkness,  
__To cut some stranger down.'_

_-Both Sides, Phil Collins_

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* * *

_

A wet black nose pushed against his hand and Drake moaned, his eyes flickering open to reveal a blurry silver shape above his head. He could just make out two bright yellow eyes before he smacked the shape away and sat up. Beth blinked, slumping down onto her haunches, her eyes fixed on his face. He glanced across at her sideways, his jaw clenched and his face a picture of rage. Beth whined softly and shuffled back from him, he looked ready to kill, his pistol held tightly in his hand.

She had found him lying on the grass outside the hotel, unconscious with his guns strewn around him. She had no idea what had gone on up here but a quick scout of the area had quickly told her both Sam and Astrid had been here not long ago. She guessed Sam had hit him to knock him off one of the many balconies on the hotel; she doubted it had been Astrid who had done the dirty work.

'You came to find me.' It was more of a statement than a question but Beth nodded all the same. She didn't mention that it had been on Caine's orders. She blinked again and let her body take over the transmission from animal to girl. Drake didn't look at her; instead he got to his feet, clicking his neck with a groan.

'They got away,' he said suddenly, starting to walk back down the hill. 'I've decided to take my anger out on you.' He smirked and all of Beth's hopes fell like a brick in water. 'Not now, though, later. You'll see.'

Beth felt sick, her mouth was dry and there was an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. She stopped walking and bit her lip. Drake looked over his shoulder at her, one eyebrow raised.

'What's this, the one man rebellion?' He laughed shortly.

'I-I want to go…go home.' It was the longest sentence she had ever said since he had taken her in and it hadn't exactly gone well but at least it got the message home. Well, at least she thought it had until he snorted and turned fully around.

'Home?' He questioned. 'Do you even have a home? Come to think of it, no one knows where you came from, do they?'

Beth frowned. 'I don't want to stay here anymore.' She started to back away, almost tearing a hole in her lip.

Drake's taunting smile disappeared and he scowled, marching towards her. 'You're not going anywhere.' He growled but Beth gave a choked sob before she turned and ran.

She could hear Drake behind her shouting, yelling threats and promises at her. She didn't pay attention to him; she just kept running, her feet hitting the ground again and again. Her breath came in short, fast gasps. Her heart pounded painfully against her rib cage and her lungs were burning in her chest. She didn't stop no matter how much every muscle in her body was screaming at her to, she couldn't stop, he would kill her and if he didn't when he caught her, his anger would. She didn't know where she would go, maybe to Sam? The Astrid girl had been nice to her. She risked her a glance over her shoulder and was surprised to see Drake had disappeared. Maybe he had given up? After all, she wasn't much use if she was rebelling. She gasped, her feet tripping over themselves as she went to round a corner. Her hand grabbed the wall; the rough brick grazing it and blood welled up against the pale skin.

She looked up and almost burst into tears at the sight of Drake smirking down at her. She turned, stumbling over her own feet; tears falling slowly down her cheeks. He was quicker though and grabbed her by the back of her neck, forcing her to the ground. He expertly flipped her over, straddling her legs and pinning her down with his weight. Beth paused in her shrieking to catch her breath, she was hysterical and the look in Drake's eyes was terrifying.

'Have you forgotten which side you're on?' He snarled, tightening his grip on her wrists. She hissed in pain at the pressure on her broken wrist. 'You belong to me. I own you and if you so much as try to get away, I'll cut your little tail off.' He smirked at her expression. 'Okay?'

Beth nodded shakily. 'Yes.' She sobbed.

Drake grinned and climbed off her, eyeing her closely as she got to her feet, still shaking like a leaf. Quick as a flash he raised his hand and Beth yelped, flinching back, her eyes closing as she waited expectantly. A loud bark of laughter made her open her eyes to see a grinning Drake. He snorted and shook his head, rolling his eyes at her.

'You know, you'd be lost without me.' He stated, leading her back down the hill. She followed without question.

They rounded the corner into the school car park. A large SUV was parked there and a boy Beth knew as Jack was packing equipment into it. An unintentional snarl was released from Beth's lips at the sight of Diana standing beside Jack. Drake chuckled, ruffling her hair roughly and Beth ducked her head, her ears flattening instinctively. Caine spotted them immediately and waved them over, his eyes only briefly scanning over Beth before he burst into deep conversation with Drake.

Beth sighed heavily, her eyelids felt like lead and she swayed on the spot. She hadn't slept for what felt like days, Drake had kept her going with what he called training and what she called half starving and chasing small children. The world went black and her head fell against something soft, it took her a moment to realise it was an arm and one eye opened to see Drake's quizzical face looking down at her. He looked slightly confused, the rest of his face angry, but Beth was too tired to lift her head and just closed her eyes, clutching onto his arm with both hands.

'Wow, Drake,' a voice drawled. 'You finally found yourself a girlfriend.' Diana smirked at him, her arms folded across her chest as she stood beside Caine.

Drake sneered. 'I'd watch out if I were you, she doesn't seem to like you much.'

'Oh, I can see she's very dangerous.' Diana snorted.

Drake clenched his jaw and shrugged his shoulder, forcing Beth to straighten out. She groaned and blinked lazily, her blurred sight focusing on Diana's smirking face. Instantly her eyes darkened and she growled, baring her teeth at the girl. Diana's smirk dropped and she scowled, glaring back at Beth. She turned to Caine who was looking on in amusement.

'Are we going or are we just going to hang around here and stare at the freak?' She said.

That was it for Beth; she lunged, a ferocious snarl ripping from her throat. Diana shrieked, jumping backwards and Caine, in a moment of manliness, jumped in front of her but Drake was faster. He reached out, yanking hard on the back of her jumper, yanking her backwards. He smacked her in the stomach with the steel bar and she yelped, her knees buckling and she landed hard on the floor. A foot slammed into her side and she coughed, curling up into a ball on the ground.

'What did I tell you?' Drake snapped, although inside he was pleased with Beth's reaction to Diana, he wanted to show the beautiful girl what he could do to her if he wanted to.

'Come on or we won't get there in time.' Caine cut in, striding to the car. Diana was close behind him, sliding in beside Jack. Beth dithered beside Drake until he opened the boot of the car. She stared at him in disbelief but he jerked his head towards it and she reluctantly jumped in, flinching as he slammed it shut and she was plunged into darkness.

The drive was slow and jerky, not that Beth cared. The boot was cramped and she was smacked against the door countless times when the brakes were slammed down. She slept most of the way, curled into a tiny ball in the corner. Wedged in between two camera tripods. She had overheard Jack talking about going to film some boy's birthday, something to do with 'the big blink.' She knew this was do with all the adults disappearing but she didn't understand any of it, she didn't care anyway.

Eventually the car came to a crunching halt and then engine switched off. A couple of minutes later the boot was opened and light streamed in, momentarily blinding her. Wordlessly Drake led her out of the car and she silently followed him towards the large school they had arrived at.

'This is Coates Academy,' he informed her, obviously feeling slightly more cheerful than earlier. 'My school.'

They came to a halt outside the large double doors. Caine waved his hand and they flew open, revealing a dozen or so weirdly shaped creatures. Beth growled softly, backing up into Drake who gripped her arm tightly. They were people, kids, Beth realised but their arms each ended in one large concrete block. It took Beth a moment to comprehend the fact their hands had been encased in it and she had no doubts to who had done the sick deed. They moved around them, milling about on the front lawn, wailing and crying. They were thin and sickly looking, even Beth looked healthier than them.

'Stay here.' Drake muttered, rushing up the steps after Caine and the others.

Beth sat obediently on the grass, careful to avoid the concrete block creatures. There were crashes and shouts coming from inside the building and then a loud boom that sounded like a whole wall had been demolished. A wide-eyed girl came beside her, she couldn't have been much older than Beth herself, her eyes were hollow and her cheekbones jutted out.

'Do you have…food?' She whispered, her voice hoarse and barely understandable. Beth reached into her pocket, bringing out the battered looking gumball. She flicked a piece of fluff off it and handed it to the girl. She took it eagerly, shoving it into her mouth and chewing furiously. 'Anything else?' She asked hopefully but Beth shook her head.

'Sorry.' She murmured.

Half an hour later and Drake appeared. He was closely followed by Panda and two others Beth didn't know. She got to her feet at the sight of him, the girl she had given the gumball to had gone a few minutes earlier and Beth didn't miss her, the concrete creatures scared her. They were evidence of what Drake could do, what he could do to her. The thought made her sick and she avoided his eyes as he approached, gesturing her to follow. The black girl glanced her over with a sneer before turning and climbing into the car. Beth followed and found herself wedged between Panda and a boy they called Chunk. She yawned and lent her head on Panda's shoulder, much to his surprise. He glanced down at her but he let her stay there and she was thankful for that. The road was bumpy and the girl was going fast, driving like a maniac, but then they were all maniacs, in a world they didn't understand.

The SUV lurched to a stop at the top of the mountain and they all piled out, Beth pulled along by a nervous looking Panda. But then again, he always looked like that so it was hard to tell. It was dark up there, on top the mountain but Beth could easily smell Drake's scent as he led them to a spot that overlooked the desert. The small group dropped to the ground, Chunk busy nattering about something or other. Beth wasn't interested, she was staring out across the sandy landscape. There was an odd smell in the air, like a dog but it was bigger. She growled instinctively and everyone but Drake looked at her, he was used to her odd outbursts of anger.

'Why'd you bring her, man?' Chunk whined. 'She freaks me out.'

Drake rolled his eyes. 'Just shut up and keep lookout.' He snapped.

Beth ignored their pointless chatter and peered over the edge, trying to get a better hold on the strange scent. She knew it would be much easier in her wolf form but she was only allowed to change when Drake told her to. Movement behind her and she glanced over her shoulder to see Drake getting to his feet and moving away. She went to follow but the girl stopped her.

'You do not wanna go round there.' She said, smiling slightly. Beth glanced from the girl to where Drake had disappeared before huffing and slumping down beside the girl. Minutes later though there was a shout and the girl disappeared in the same direction as Drake, leaving Beth to sulk by herself. She didn't want to go to him like the others had, she wasn't a sheep. Maybe she really was rebelling, all she knew was she was fed up with being the weak one all the time.

They were moving again, heading towards the SUV, the girl jumping back into the driver's seat and starting the engine. Drake appeared in front of Beth and tugged her to her feet.

'C'mon,' he said. 'You got some proper work to do.' He didn't give her time to think about what he had said before she was bundled into the back of the SUV and the door slammed shut.


	5. Run

**AN: Special thanks to Kaatt, my loveerr (figuratively speaking, ofc) who helped me a lot with this chappie ^^**

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'_She always feels so small,  
__Pushed aside,  
__A flower on the wall.  
__They never ask her name,  
__No one sees,  
__The girl without a face.'_

_-All She Wrote, Ross Copperman_

_

* * *

_

Beth sat miserably on the grass, her eyes dull and glazed over. There was a thick brown rope around her neck that led up to the railing of a gazebo. The rope dug into her neck uncomfortably. He had tied it too tightly, just to piss her off, and it was working. The concreted creatures were in similar positions except they were eating, licking off plastic trays like animals. Her stomach ached at the sight of it and more than once she had tried to steal a few bites from the kid next to her. A boy had come round with them, distributing the food to everyone but her. She had looked up at him pleadingly but he had just shrugged helplessly.

'I'm sorry,' he had muttered. 'Drake says you can't eat.' And then he had walked away and Beth had almost cried.

She didn't know why Drake had tied her to the railing but he had disappeared again, this time taking a concreted girl with him. As she had watched them get into the SUV Beth couldn't help a pang of jealously course through her as she watched him with the girl. As soon as it had come it had passed and she had returned to moping. A while later and a couple of boys appeared with a wheelbarrow; Beth ignored them and turned away, staring at the driveway, waiting impatiently for Drake to return.

Eventually the familiar shape of the car appeared round the corner and Beth perked up, her ears pricking up and her tail almost wagging, as if she was a real animal. She shuddered at the thought. She didn't know when she had become so attached to Drake; she guessed he had grown on her. He appeared round the corner with people Beth only vaguely remembered, they didn't look too happy to be there either. Drake passed by Beth and she went to follow him but the rope yanked her back down to the ground and she yelped as it cut into her neck. He ignored her, pushing her back with the barrel of his gun, watching in amusement as she scowled at him. He walked on but he must have said something to Panda because he appeared by her side, undoing the rope and lifting her to her feet.

Beth didn't want to watch as Drake taunted and mocked Sam. She turned away, frowning into the distance. Part of her wanted to be near him and the other part wanted to tear him limb from limb. She could hear Drake behind her and she winced, finding herself wandering further and further away from him. She passed Caine and Diana who didn't bat an eyelid at her; they were too busy focused on the events unfolding in front of them. Beth knew she shouldn't go far, as soon as Drake was finished with Sam and his friends he would be onto her, demanding she did another heartless job. She continued to wander further and further away from them, not paying attention to where she was going or what she was going to do once she got there. She just wanted to get away and she would have done just that had there not been a scream.

She stopped, her eyes wide and her head raised. She glanced back over her shoulder, back at the school, wondering what to do. People around Drake screamed all the time, didn't they? But she had recognised the voice, it had been Drake himself, she was sure of it. She blinked, taking another step towards the school before she stopped herself. Why did she care about him? He had done nothing for her and she sure as well wasn't going to start helping him. But regardless of what she thought, of what her mind told her, she found herself walking back to the school before she broke into a sprint. She got there faster than expected, skidding around a corner to see everything in an uproar.

Drake was on the ground, writhing around and clutching his arm like a mad man. It seemed to be on fire and he was frantically trying to douse the odd white flames. The boy called Sam had gone, along with all the concreted kids, the blocks lay discarded on the grass. Beth bit her lip, almost rushing to Drake's side, but Diana and Caine beat her to it, closely followed by Panda. They were shouting at each other, ordering one another to do something, anything. Beth swallowed dryly and backed away before running like a frightened animal from the chaotic scene.

Beth had no idea where to go. She wandered aimlessly like a lost child, tears springing to her eyes. She didn't want to be there, in that awful desert with her stomach rumbling and her mouth dry. It was strange, being alone, being stranded. There was no Drake, pulling on a leash, shouting at her. No weapons were pointed at her, pressed into the skin of her forehead where they would leave a fresh mark from the nuzzle. A cliché but a truth could express her feelings to her time with _them_: felt like years, not weeks, hours or days. Years. The frights and the scares, the skims with death, the sights, in just that short amount of time had probably shaved years off of her life, if she was honest. Beth wasn't one for a life like these, with people like that. Maybe she could say, very lightly and without any true feeling, that they had saved her: Panda and Drake, when they found her stumbling and injured. But then they hadn't found her had they? She had found them, by no purpose but the fact she was running, injured and lost. What would she be doing now if Drake hadn't decided that he wanted her, as a trophy, as a pet, as something weaker to push around, to boost his ego.

What was that?

She could see something. Squinting, in the distance, she was sure of it, but then she was wobbling, feeling unsteady, perhaps hallucinating. Land, concrete, buildings, tall, very noticeable, a savour. Beth could make it, if she tried, tried hard to fight of the exhaustion that had come with the loss of willpower and want. The tears were taking over now, streaming down her face, and it became harder and harder to contain them. Pent up for so long, all emotions were now running wild, swirling in her head and scaring her. _Attacking her_.

Thud. She felt the concrete under her shoes, it unnerved her for a moment and so she stumbled, hands out in front of her, protecting her face. Clenching her fingers, she squeezed the ground, her stomach clenching as she gave a sob. There was no true reason for her tears, but her body was battling with her and winning without a doubt. Shoes. A pair of trainers greeted her as she tipped herself up on her chin, glaring out through the salty tears. The glare a last defence to show she wasn't truly beaten.

Sam tilted his head to the side, staring at the person sprawled out before him like a sacrifice. He'd watched her for a few minutes now, watched as she stumbled and grew a queasy exterior, battled with her fears and sadness. One hand out, he stopped Astrid from making a move forward. He wasn't quite sure yet what he thought, why he was interested. What he should do.

'Don't leave her, Sam. She's exhausted-,'

'No. She's one of _them_.' He spat.

Astrid's face darkened. 'Look around you, Sam,' she gestured to the Coate's kids, to the skin that hung from their deadened hands, 'this where thinking like that had got us. If you're assuming that she _wanted_ to do all that stuff for Drake, then by all means, leave her to die. But if she did, then why would she have left him.' The determined girl planted her hands firmly on her hips, raising an eyebrow at him.

Sam knew when he had lost and he certainly wasn't dumb enough to start an argument with Astrid when she was like this. He looked back down at Beth, sighing heavily before leaning down and grabbing her beneath her arms. She yelped as she was lifted to her feet.

'C'mon,' he muttered. ' I guess you better go to Lana.' He gestured to her bandaged wrist and the gash on her arm, Beth just stared at him. He shook his head, muttering under his breath and gently he led her through the kids.

'That's the girl-,' someone whispered.

'Isn't she Drake's?'

'- what's that on her head?'

Beth glared at them, her strange ears flattening against her head. She didn't want to be with them, if Drake found her she would be in big trouble. That's if he was still alive, Beth shivered at the thought, not even paying attention to wherever Sam was taking her. Suddenly he stopped and she nearly walked straight into his back. There was a brown haired girl knelt down beside a small boy, she seemed to be holding his hand and Beth couldn't work out why until she let go and his hand looked as good as new. The girl looked up, her face pale and heavy dark rings underneath her eyes.

'Lana,' Sam said, his voice gentler than it had been when he talked to Beth. 'Do you think you can do Beth?'

Lana sighed. 'Can I have a rest first? She doesn't look too bad.'

'Sure, Beth can go with you.' Sam suggested, glad to be rid of the odd girl.

Lana nodded and straightened up, gesturing for Beth to follow her as she set off. Beth wandered along beside her, her ears flickering as she looked down at Lana's dog. In turn, it stared back up at her, growling now and again and darting closer to Lana in a protective manner. Beth tilted her head to one side, a smile flitting across her face. She liked this dog, she decided, he seemed friendly enough, obviously not to her but she liked the way he knew who he was and who his own friends were. She cleared her throat; she was determined to make a life here, to get away from Drake and his awful ways.

They came to a stop outside a house and Beth followed Lana up the steps, watching as the older girl fell onto the sofa, falling asleep instantly. Beth dithered about awkwardly; ignoring the glares she received from the dog. Eventually, after an extensive search through the almost empty cupboards, she curled up in the middle of a double bed and fell into a restless sleep.

'_Panda found her, she's mine.' Drake answered confidently._

Drake's face flashed in her dreams, his dark clutches reaching out to her. Beth groaned and turned over on the bed, shivering violently despite being wrapped up in the heavy duvet.

'_Have you forgotten which side you're on?' He snarled, 'you belong to me. I own you…-,'_

Beth whimpered, sub-consciously biting her lip. Someone was shouting her, at the back of her mind, shaking her.

'_You know, you'd be lost without me.'_

Beth shot up, her eyes wild and her chest heaving up and down. She shrieked at the sight of two eyes staring into her own.

'Hey!' Lana shouted. 'Hey, calm down! I'm nearly done.' She jerked her head down to her wrist, which she was holding gently.

Beth let out a deep breath, crossing her legs underneath her as she watched Lana slowly heal her wrist. It was an amazing feeling; one minute she couldn't so much as move her wrist without pain shooting up her arm and the next, it was perfectly normal.

'Thank you.' She whispered, smiling slightly.

Lana nodded stiffly. 'No problem.' She coughed nervously. 'Maybe you should, erm, get some more sleep?'

'Yeah,' Beth wasn't particularly keen on the idea but she didn't want to argue with the girl who had just fixed her broken wrist. Lana smiled and stood up, walking over to the door.

'See you later.' She said quietly before closing the door with a click and Beth fell back into a world full of taunting voices and shark like grins.


	6. Alone

**AN: Sorry for the wait. Lots stuff going on right now. And then I went on holiday and wrote for England ;) Expect quicker updates x**

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'_I was only looking for the shortcut home,  
__But it's complicated,  
__So complicated.  
__Somewhere in this city is a road I know,  
__Where we could make it,  
__But maybe there's no making it now.'_

_-It Is What It Is, Lifehouse_

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_

Beth's eyes flickered open, her ears twitching wearily. She wasn't as tired as she had been, it had been the best night's sleep she'd ever had, even after tossing and turning all through the night. She sat up, yawning and stretching her stiff limbs. She looked down, rotating her wrist and smiling softly to herself. A growl alerted her attention and she tilted her head to one side, her eyes wide and frightened. She climbed down from the bed and padded over to the door before sniffing the air tentatively. The scent that hit her made her recoil in shock, backing into a chest of drawers, her fingers gripping the edge with white knuckles. His stench reeked of blood, sweat and tears but it was definitely him. Beth choked back a sob and slid down the wall, curling up into a ball as she tried to hide from the world.

The sound of muffled voices reached her ears and she almost stopped breathing altogether, too scared to make a noise incase he found her. Instead she listened intently, wondering if he had gone, she hoped with all her strength that he has forgotten about her. His voice finally reached her ears and she stiffened at his words.

'-where is she?'

Beth held her breath, waiting for Lana to expose her.

'She's not here,' came the stiff reply. 'I haven't seen her.'

There was a grunt; a swing of a door and then everything fell silent.

Beth twitched; her ears straining for any sign that they were still there, but it seemed they had left and after ten minutes of crouching there in the dark she got to her feet, softly stepping over to the door. Lana was nowhere to be seen when she peered out into the dark, neither was her dog, and their scents were faint. She shivered and pulled her hoodie sleeves down her arms, yanking up the hood and darting over to the front door. Her heart was beating wildly against her chest and she was petrified Drake was going to jump out of the shadows and catch her again.

Her stomach rumbled, piercing through the quietness of the night. Beth scowled, glaring down at it as if it was doing it on purpose. She sighed, glancing down the street carefully before darting down from the porch and heading down the road. Lifting her head into the air she sniffed carefully, catching the scents that blew her way. Her ears pricked with interest as she caught a particularly mouthwatering smell and without hesitation she was off down the road, bounding hungrily to the source.

The McDonald's was empty, just a lonely Albert sat behind the counter, his eyes drooping as he leant against the side. The lights flickered above him, it wasn't closing time yet, soon though; he always waited until it was exactly the right time, even if no one happened to be in there. A noise startled him and his eyes opened slowly. He lifted himself up off the counter and peered around the empty restaurant. There was nobody there, seemingly nothing that could of made the noise but just as he went to turn away a shadow caught his eye and he spun round.

It was a girl. Her eyes large and round as she stared up at him. She was thin, painfully thin and her hair was a matted mess. Her tattered clothes were stained with what looked like blood and God knows what else. She was shifting uneasily from foot to foot, her odd ears twitching frantically. Albert wasn't surprised when he saw the odd attachments to her, he had been told about this girl, Drake's new pet. But there was no sign of the boy now, so what was she doing here.

'Hello,' he said softly. 'Would you like something to eat?' He gestured to the modified menu, smiling warmly.

She dithered on the spot, glancing at the menu only briefly before she stabbed her finger at anything. Albert nodded and went straight to work, anxious to do something instead of stand and look at the girl. Out of the corner of his eye he watched her as she wandered over to a booth and slid onto the hard plastic seat. She rested her head on crossed arms and proceeded to stare at him. Albert turned away, clearing his throat nervously; her wide-eyed stare unnerved him. There was an eerie aura around her, that much was for sure.

Eventually her food was done and he took it over to her on a tray, sliding into the chair opposite her. She barely waited for the tray to even touch the table, already grabbing the warm food and tearing into it like a wild animal. Albert watched on in amazement, wondering how something so small could eat so ferociously.

He cleared his throat again, linking his hands together on the table. 'So,' he started and her eyes snapped up to look at him, waiting patiently. 'What's your name?' He finished.

She seemed to ponder this for a moment, chewing thoughtfully before she answered in a croaky voice, 'Beth.'

'I'm Albert.' He nodded with a smile and held his hand out. She immediately flinched away from it and the boy's grin faded, his hand dropping limply back onto the table. 'Sorry.' He muttered.

'S'alright.' Beth shrugged her shoulders, startling him. She easily fell back into the regime of stuffing everything into her mouth.

Albert shook his head and they sat in a comfortable silence, listening to the quiet drone of the refrigerator. Finally Beth finished the last of her meal and sat back, giving the boy a small smile. He nodded back in return and got to his feet, taking the tray back into the kitchen. When he returned back to the restaurant to close up, she was gone and he smiled. He hadn't expected her to stay.

* * *

Beth stumbled through the empty streets, half heartedly flickering between human and wolf form. Despite her rather filling meal, she still felt incredibly weak and was slowly losing the will to even kept going. A strange flashback suddenly occurred to her and recalled a small conversation she had had back at the facility. He was the janitor there, a nice old man with brown leathery skin and he was always whistling. He had told her one-day, as he slowly swept the floor, 'there is good in everything, you just have to know where to look.'

It was the memory of these words that kept her putting one foot in front of the other. Fortunately she hadn't managed to run into Drake, wherever he had gone with Lana, or any of his little cronies. As much as she'd hate to admit it she was scared witless of them all. They were typical bullies, seeing her as an easy target. For everyone knew what Drake held over her and even Beth knew it would be suicide to go against the boy. But where was he now? Golden eyes scanned her surroundings, silver ears twitching constantly. The sun was rising now, casting an orangey glow over the town and giving Beth a new hope. She would stand up, be her own person, because after all, maybe suicide _was_ better than this.

A groan alerted her attention and Beth's head shot up, eyes wide as she stared down the road. A great hulk of a boy came into view, lumbering along with all the grace of an elephant. Beth recognized him as one of Drake's lackeys, Orc she remembered his name as. He didn't seem to notice her at first, only focusing on walking. When his dark eyes finally did lock onto her he grunted before turning down a side street. Beth curiously followed, finding no immediate threat in him. There was a strange smell about him, an animal like stench and her nose twitched fervently. A nervous cough made her jump and she turned to see a second boy following them. She knew his name, Quinn, because for a short time he had once been working with Drake. Beth wasn't worried by Quinn's presence, from what she had seen he wasn't a particularly brave boy. So she turned back around and silently followed Orc into a dingy looking house.

'Go 'way,' he muttered gruffly, waving a hand at her. Beth darted out of his reach easily and other than that Orc made no attempt to rid himself of the girl. With a satisfied belch he slumped down into an armchair, flicked on the television and with an odd gravelly noise, leaned over to pick up a can of beer. Beth watched quietly from the doorway before silently slipping round the back of the television set and settling in a corner beside Orc's chair. She liked it in that small dark room. Light wad filtering in through the open blinds, casting a light upon Beth's current host.

The boy looked dreadful. His clothes were ripped and bloody, multi-coloured bruises dotted his huge body and one eye was swelling up, turning a nasty shade of purple. From her position on the floor Beth could see up his shirt and she gasped, her ears flattening against her head. Patches of Orc's great chest was covered in gravel. Hard, wet, grey coloured gravel It rose and fell as he breathed, sounding like the shore of a rocky beach. It didn't seem to bother Orc, every now and then he would reach down and scratch it but otherwise he just carried on drinking. Beth eventually became tired of staring at it, after all, it wasn't as if she was the normalist of normal.

She was soon flat out on the carpet, the sound of the television softly lulling her to sleep. There was a knock on the door, the sound of voices, but she didn't move, simply turning over and curling up beneath Orc's outstretched legs. There were people in the house now, three to be exact, but none were Drake or Caine. Her tail twitched.

'What's that?' Someone questioned.

'I don't know,' came Orc's rough answer. 'She followed me in.'

'It's Drake's pet, thing,' it was Sam talking now. 'Where's Drake, Orc? Are you hiding him?'

Orc rolled his eyes and popped another can of beer. 'No man, I told you. Drake's with that Lana girl.' He gestured to Beth. 'She was on her own.'

Beth opened one eye, figuring they were talking about her. She wasn't particularly pleased to be disturbed and glared at the three intruders, her lip lifting in an inhuman snarl. To everyone's surprise, Edilio crouched down to her height, a friendly smile on his dark face.

'Hello,' he said softly, reaching out to her, as if she were a wild animal. 'You can come with us, if you want.'

'Edilio, get up,' Sam was glaring at Beth. Not nastily, just a half hearted, 'I don't particularly like you,' glare. 'She can't come with us, Drake will be on us in seconds and that's all we need.'

Edilio sighed but Sam's reasoning wasn't stupid. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of Drake's grudges. So they went, leaving Beth with Orc, who couldn't seem to care either way. He groaned, shoving her out the way to retrieve the game console controller. The younger girl yawned and shuffled against the armchair. She found a stray candy bar and ravenously tore it open, hardly even bothering to chew as she shoved it whole into her mouth. She couldn't stay there forever, she knew that. She had to go back to Drake, he would find her eventually and she'd rather him think she'd gone back to him rather than him find her hiding in someone's house. But for now all she could do was sit and wait for the inevitable.


	7. Manipulation

'_It don't matter what you see,  
__I know I could never be,  
__Someone that'll look like you.  
__It don't matter what you say,  
__I know I could never face,  
__Someone that could sound like you.'_

_-All The Right Moves, One Republic_

* * *

Beth woke with a start, the sounds of Orc's loud curses filling her ears and fueling her headache. She groaned and got to her feet, popping the bones in her back. She peered out of the window, glancing up and down the dark street. Flashes came from the Plaza, the noises, the screams, almost impossible to block out. It was time, she decided.

'Where're you going?' Orc grunted and Beth jumped, her eyes wide.

'Away from here.' She finally answered slowly, carefully skirting round him.

'You know he'll find you.'

Beth wasn't sure where this conversation was heading. The boy had never spoken to her much before and she wasn't particularly interested in starting right now. She dodged past him and slipped out the door. She decided she was going to go back where she had come from. Back to the place in the forest, far away from this madness. It was safe there, everything was familiar, even her cell. She wasn't sure which way to go but following her natural instincts, she set off.

Howard didn't notice her at first as she walked down the street, kicking her feet against the rough tarmac. She saw him out of the corner of her eye but ignored him anyway; she didn't want to talk to him. He was mean, cruel and cowardly, always hiding behind Orc. She cast him a withering look as he passed and he raised an eyebrow at her. He hadn't gone two steps towards Orc's house before he stopped and spun on his heel, sauntering back towards her. She glanced over her shoulder and her ears flattened. She resisted the urge to snarl like an animal.

'If I were you, I'd go back where you came from,' he jerked his head back down the street. 'Drake won't be too happy to see you.'

Beth shrugged in answer, curling her tail round her waist. 'You haven't seen Drake yet, have you?' He commented mildly, but there was an edge to his voice, something unspoken. Beth didn't answer. She just carried on walking. 'His arm was half burned of, y'know,' Howard carried on, 'and now it's changed. It's-,' he leered down at her, 'well I guess you'll see for yourself.' With that being said he turned back around and walked away.

She watched in silence as he slowly made his way to Orc's house. She stood there for a few minutes, unsure of what to do, of where to go. Howard's words flashed back in her mind and with a shaky sigh she carried on down the street, her nose on high alert for _him,_ for his smell. The noises from the battle being carried out at the Plaza were getting louder with every step she took. Suddenly she stopped dead in the street and looked up, her eyes wide and her heartbeat speeding up considerably. She stared at him. At the thing writhing and curling at Drake's side. It looked like he was holding a whip but it was somehow attached to his arm, the one that had been burnt off. His blue eyes flashed down to her and he smirked as he saw her looking at it.

'Been a while, eh?' The whip hand flicked, cracking through the air, and Beth took a step back. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. 'I hope you weren't thinking of running off,' he smiled, noticing her gaze on the whip hand. 'Do you like it? It's very effective.' He winked and she flinched. He stepped closer to her, his face lit up by a flickering street lamp.

Despite all she had said to herself, all the reasoning that had flitted through her mind during her stay at Orc's house, all she wanted to do now was just run. So she literally turned tail and sprinted in the opposite direction. Behind her the whip hand cracked and she felt a rush of air on her back as it just missed her. Drake cursed and broke into a run, enjoying the feeling of the chase, the exhilaration it brought. He was easily faster than Beth. She was weak and he was strong. She was skin and bones and he had muscles, albeit he wasn't the muscle man, but he had enough to launch himself on her and tackle her to the ground. She shrieked and scampered away, crawling on hands and needs, but the whip coiled around her ankle, yanking her back against his chest. His arm wrapped around her neck and she grabbed it with both hands, pulling desperately as she tried to suck air into her lungs. He wouldn't kill her. Not now, not after all this. But he showed no signs of letting up and just as her flailing kicks were dying away, he let her loose and she slumped to the ground, sucking in great lungfuls of air.

'I missed you, y'know,' he commented mildly, watching her as she gasped on the ground. 'Missed the way you used to follow me around like a little guard dog. Just in case things got out of hand and then, bam!' She jumped as he raised his voice. 'You'd be there, doing all that snarling and biting.' He tilted his head to one side. 'But you're not fully trained, are ya'?' He smirked. 'We can soon change that.'

Beth raised her head and spat in his face. His eyes flashed, the smirk dropping. The whip cracked across her cheek, leaving a trail of blood that dripped from her chin and splattered the concrete. She winced and her head hung between her shaking arms as she struggled to stay upright. This was not what she had anticipated. Sure she had expected him to still be _him_. But not like this, this Drake was colder, crueler and a lot more uncaring than before. He grabbed her arm with his good hand and pulled her up. She cringed as his whip hand came a little too close for comfort but he just motioned with it and she started walking, wondering where he was taking her this time.

'You much of a fighter.' He broke the silence.

She looked up, startled, but he wasn't looking at her. 'I – I don't know.' She said, her voice hoarse.

He didn't respond, just kept going until Beth finally realized where they were going. He kicked open the door to his small house and closed it with a hard slam, barely waiting for her to slip inside. She darted around him and into the living room before turning back and watching him expectantly. He opened his mouth to say something but suddenly there was a muffled pop and Taylor appeared in the middle of the room. Beth had never spoken to her, only watched, as she seemed to magically disappear before reappearing somewhere completely different. Right now she and Drake were staring at each other. He was quick to react, cracking his whip but she was gone in a flash and they were left alone again.

'Sit.' He muttered and she obediently dropped to the floor.

He stood over her, as if debating something, his hard eyes cold and calculating. He gave nothing away as he watched her and she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, itching to get away. Finally he turned away and began to pace. Back and forth, always at the same speed. Beth measured the distance between her and the door, wondering if she would make it in time before his whip would strike her down. The idea slowly slipped from her mind, though, and so she just sat there, staring into space as the minutes ticked by.

**

* * *

**

She sat in a corner, knees pulled up to her chest, skinny arms wrapped around them. The collar was cold against her neck but it didn't seem so alien. She watched nervously as Drake paced back and forth before her, his whip hand coiling and un-coiling like a viper waiting to strike. A howl broke through the silence and both of them looked up; Drake wild-eyed with adrenaline and Beth, fearful of what the howl brought with it. Suddenly, and with inhuman like speed, Drake turned towards her. Beth cowered away from him but she knew deep down that there was no escaping the boy now. He stomped over to her and crouched down, his eyes glittering with malice. Beth tried to look away but he grabbed her chin with his left hand, forcing her to stare into his eyes.

'Do you know what you are, Beth?' It was the first time he'd said her name and it sent shivers down her spine. 'You're a freak,' he continued. 'Not like them, like me. And we freaks, we gotta' stick together, you know?' His face darkened. 'If Sam wins this war, Beth,' more shivers, 'you know what's gonna' happen to you? They'll treat you like dirt, they already hate you just 'cos you're with me. You'e nothing to them, just another threat to Sam's perfect little world.' The words came out bitterly now, the grip on Beth's chin tightening. 'You see why we're fighting now? You and me, we're fighting for our freedom. Don't matter what Caine and them do, this is about the food chain.'

He almost looked sincere as he spoke and Beth was hanging onto his every word. 'Sam did this to my arm. You want that to happen to you? Of course you don't. So you get out there and do what's right.' He nodded and Beth found herself nodding along with him. It was cruel, cold-hearted manipulation and it had worked like a dream. Drake grinned as Beth got to her feet, her eyes trained on his, waiting obediently for his next order. She was his now. His own creation, his own little killing machine.

* * *

'Stockholme syndrome,' Astrid murmured as she watched Beth walk alongside Drake, glacing up at him almost adoringly. She shook her head and picked up the walky talky, preparing to tell him the bad news.


	8. Animal

**AN: This is the last chapter :) and I know the whole thing is really bad :L and I've rushed it, but hey, I've got a lot better at writing since I started this. There might be a sequel, idk yet. If there is, it won't be following the storyline of Hunger if that's what you are thinking ;) Anyway, enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

'_No one's gonna take me alive,  
The time has come to make things right,  
You and I must fight for our rights,  
You and I must fight to survive.'_

_-Knights of Cydonia, Muse_

_

* * *

_

Beth padded alongside Drake; he was making for the daycare, sauntering along like he owned the place. He cracked his whip but for once she didn't flinch, her eyes were cold and calculating.

'Go.' He muttered and she was away like a border collie herding sheep.

Her ears twitched as the high-pitched screams hit her. Drake was in the daycare. She slunk round the side of the town hall, making for the church. She bounded up the steps and knocked the door open with her nose. There were people milling about in there, mutants she figured, although it was hard to tell. No one of any importance though and no sign of Astrid and her little brother. What Drake could possibly want with them Beth had no idea but she didn't care either way. Carefully sticking to the shadows, she darted back round to the daycare and slipped inside.

The place was a shamble. Coyotes were everywhere, mixing with the little children and causing tears and fear to overpower her senses. Beth hated them with a passion, sure, she was basically one of them but she was smart and at least attempted to keep herself clean, whereas these creatures were a mess of blood and mud. She pushed her way through to where Drake was casually sat, messing with his whip hand. He smiled at the sight of her, well; more of a leer but it was welcome in Beth's eyes. Every pair of eyes was on her as she came to a halt at Drake's feet. She shook her head to his questioning look and he nodded, absent-mindedly running his hand through her fur.

'I like that doggie.' A little girl announced, pointing earnestly at Beth.

Drake looked down at her. 'But does the doggie like you?' He drawled and Beth stiffened, one ear twitching.

'Come on, Anya.' Mary murmured, pulling the little girl away. Drake sneered at her and his hand tightened in Beth's fur. He yanked on the scruff of her neck and she yelped, scrabbling closer to him to ease the pain.

'It's time to prove you're worth keeping.' He hissed into her ear. She whined and butted her head against his leg. 'Don't die.' Drake grunted and for a moment it almost sounded as if he cared.

She scampered away from him, confidently butting past the coyotes. The little girl, Anya, reached out to her as she passed and without even thinking Beth snapped at her. The thought never crossed her mind that what she was turning into, what he was making her, was all wrong. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she bounded towards the plaza. Her sharp claws created sparks on the hard concrete and as she ran she looked like a huge silver monster; golden eyes bright and mouth open revealing sharp fangs. For once she felt like she belonged. She had a place in this new, mad world, and she was learning to love it. Drake's earlier words circled in her mind, jumbling themselves up and making no sense at all. But the point was clear and with a snarl to rival that of a bear, she leapt, soaring over the heads of startled children and baying coyotes.

'_Not like them, like me. And we freaks, we gotta' stick together.'_

She landed smoothly and spun on her hind legs. Her keen eyes stared deep into the soul of one little boy and he opened his mouth to scream, to do anything, but she was on him.

'_You're nothing to them, just another threat.'_

Claws tore at his clothes, teeth snapping ferociously at his neck. It was clear to anyone as she stepped off the corpse, blood splattering her fur. She was one of Drake's now. She mingled in with the coyotes, biting and snarling. They didn't seem to mind, she was one of them in their eyes. Not a human, nor a freak, just a bloodthirsty animal trying to survive. It was Edilio who spotted her as she calmly crept up on a wandering kid. He was frozen in horror at first, a cold chill washing over him as he stared at her. At first glance she was nothing but an animal. Anger boiled in his veins and he yanked his gun round his body, storming towards her, no fear.

'Beth!' He shouted. To him she wasn't a killer, she held no threat. He knew she was still there somewhere inside, locked away behind Drake's words.

Startled, the wolf raised her head, ears pricked curiously. Without hesitation Edilio smacked her across her muzzle with the butt of his gun, cutting off a sand papery snarl. She yelped and backed away from him in puzzlement. He followed and clenched his jaw, looking directly into her eyes as he raised his gun a second time. She growled and he lunged, this time catching her on the side of her head. Her back hit a wall. Across the street she spotted Drake fighting the monster that was now Orc. She was trapped.

'_You and me, we're fighting for our freedom. Don't matter what Caine and them do, this is about the food chain.'_

Her eyes lit up and with saliva dripping from her jaws, she leapt. She crashed into Edilio sending them both flying across the pavement. He cried out in shock and kicked her off of him, scrambling for his fallen gun. Her teeth were on his ankle though, dragging him back and he found himself pinned to the ground by her dead weight. He cried out in horror and struggled underneath her but her head ducked and she bit hard into his shoulder, warm blood filling her mouth. He screamed in pain, his hands finding her neck. She shook him off and he watched in a blood filled gaze as her teeth were lowered to his neck, preparing to finish him off. Suddenly a loud shot fired off and the wolf screamed in pain. A second one and the weight on his chest fell dead. He lay there for a few seconds, getting over the initial shock of the attack. It was one of the closet times he had come to death since the FAYZ had started. He pushed up, rolling the motionless animal from him. Quinn's stricken, pale face appeared in the air above.

'Thanks.' Edilio muttered, taking the hand his friend offered to pull him to his feet. He grunted at the pain in his shoulder.

'You should, er, let Lana see to that.' Quinn croaked, obviously shaken.

The smaller boy didn't respond and they both turned to look at the lifeless body. The silver fur was retreating into pale skin. Blood seeped from the bullet hole in her protruding hip, spreading around her body like a puddle.

'Man,' Edilio sighed. 'Drake ain't gonna be happy with you.'

Quinn swallowed. 'Dude, he already wants to annihilate me.'

Edilio gave a short laugh. 'What're we going to do with her?'

'She's dead.' Quinn answered and shrugged. 'She's one of the enemy, isn't she? Everyone else is – is killing them all.'

'Whatever man,' Edilio sighed. 'C'mon, before the lunatic finds us.'

* * *

'Hey, Drake!' Diana called, a tired smirk across her face.

'What?' He snapped, following Caine wearily.

'Look what I've found.'

She nudged something on the ground with her foot and Drake raised an eyebrow, peering round her to take a look. No emotion was betrayed on his face as he looked down at Beth. His eyes scanned her body before he sucked his teeth and clicked his tongue. Diana watched expectantly for a reaction.

'How do you like your little pet now?' She taunted.

'She's dead.' He said flatly and turned, walking away.

'She's still alive, Drake, idiot.' Diana called.

He stopped and turned his head slightly. 'Then leave her to die.' He muttered.

* * *

The fight was over. Sam had won and Caine had gone, taking Diana and Drake with him. The town was a wreck. Half destroyed buildings lay in a crumbling wreck, some smoking, the last of the burning flames wearing thin. Kids wandered aimlessly, most retreating inside, to their homes, others had stayed to help clean up. There weren't many dead, a few coyotes and even fewer kids. Edilio was taking care of them, preparing them for a proper burial. It was Little Pete who found her, curled up in a pool of blood. He didn't shout or do anything, he just stood and stared and she stared back with one large yellow eye.

'Petey,' Astrid appeared, looking tired. 'Come on, Petey, it's over now,' her eyes landed on Beth. 'Oh my God, Edilio! Sam! It's the girl, she's – she's alive. Where's Lana?'

Beth was half dragged, half carried to where Lana sat. She whimpered as the older girl pressed her hand firmly against the bullet wound. Quinn watched from a distance, frowning down at her. He was relieved in a way; relieved she wasn't dead, that he hadn't killed anyone. Afterwards they left her in the sun to recuperate and she fell asleep to the hustle and bustle around her.

* * *

She sat with Orc, almost like a guard. She was still, staring straight ahead, her eyes dull and lifeless. It seemed she had taken a liking to Orc and his huge bulk. To her Orc was safe, Orc was a protector. No one went near them, in their corner. The boy Beth had so easily killed was buried along with the others and no one forgot that. But for now she was allowed to be there, on her little patch of grass.

Astrid leant over to Sam, her voice lowered to a whisper. She didn't want to ruin the atmosphere. 'What are we going to do if Drake comes for her?'

Sam frowned and glanced at the silent Beth before he turned to Astrid and shrugged. 'What are we going to do if he doesn't?'


End file.
